me, not you

Ya wanna know something interesting?

Of course you do. You're reading my blog and it's almost always interesting because you never know what's gonna come out of my mouth...er...fingers...uh...brain. 

Whatever. 

You get it.

I've been thinking. (Dangerous, I know.) 

I can't tell you how often I have heard people complain about the shortcomings or failures of another person or group of people. It seems as though all the struggles in this life are because of somebody else. It's so easy to point out what someone else should do to be a better person. Criticism comes quickly to our lips.

But what if, I mean would it be so terrible, what would be so wrong about turning the critical finger back on ourselves? Seriously: what if we stop telling other people how to be better people and started becoming better people ourselves?! 

When we put expectations on other people to meet our standard, there's a pretty good chance they're not going to meet it. We're gonna be disappointed. 

But, what if we took the focus off of them and put it on ourselves?

Let me give you one example: 

What if, instead of getting all frustrated and irritated with the extremely slow clerk at the grocery store, we used the situation as an opportunity to practice our patience (it is a virtue, people) and to show some kindness through an encouraging word to the clerk (because blessed are the merciful AND the peacemakers, eh?) 

What would that do? Maybe help make the world a better place?! Maybe, instead of trying to change everyone else, we start with ourselves. 

Maybe, just maybe, we make a bigger difference pointing the finger at ourselves.

KC👈🏻